It's been almost a
lifetime since Rockford first appeared on the gaming scene, 27 years to
be precise and the original Boulder Dash is still held dearly in the
hearts of many gamers. The series also spawned a variety of clones but
Boulder Dash was still the best and I still remember playing this game
as a kid on my PC with CGA graphics. That's right, unlike the Commodore
64, CGA only had four colours but I still fondly remember playing level
after level of this awesome game.

As opposed to a remake, Boulder Dash-XL is
more an advancement of the series which features similar gameplay but
the loveable Rockford has been replaced by a BD25 mining robot called
"Rockford" which is a shame because the original character was
definitely more relatable with his pick. Even so, when you first start
playing Boulder Dash-XL, it definitely has a retro feel to it, even with
the tweaked gameplay. BD25 is more like Inspector Gadget, another
throwback reference to this time with all his new gadgets and access to
power-ups.

This game features over 150 levels that definitely sits in the casual
gaming area and does share similar traits to the more popular titles of
this genre such as Bejewelled as you need to collect a set number of
diamonds per level, avoid the enemies and prevent rocks from falling on
your head all in the allocated time. Like the original, Rockford can
move in four directions that include left, right, up and down. By moving
in these directions, you basically start tunnelling in order to make
your way to the diamonds. Although gravity does not affect you, if you
walk under a diamond or a rock, it will fall. Rocks can also squash
Rockford but they can also be used to crush enemies and trap them.

With a handful of gameplay modes that
include "arcade", a revamped version of the original, a retro mode and a
puzzle mode, there's definitely some great value for money here. The
arcade mode adds quite a few twists and turns to the game mechanics from
power-ups to Rockford's new telescopic arm that extends to grab diamonds
or push rocks. From coloured portal-like doors that can only be accessed
with the correct coloured key to teleporters and even a health bar for
Rockford that never existed in the original, it definitely spices up the
original gameplay.

Arcade mode also
contains several new enemies that add a spanner to the gameplay as all
the enemies have a strategy on defeating them. The last mode is the
puzzle mode that is basically a tower of cards just waiting to fall. The
diamonds in the puzzle mode have been carefully placed to start a chain
reaction should you take the wrong turn and it's actually quite
frustrating yet rewarding to solve these puzzles. With 100 levels in
arcade mode, 25 in puzzle and 25 in retro, Boulder Dash-XL is definitely
some great value for money here.

As mentioned, Boulder Dash-XL contains a
retro mode which is basically the original game and is a great walk down
memory lane as you play this classic game again but on the XBox 360.
However for me, the challenge of the Boulder Dash series are the enemies
that you encounter. Enemies generally chase Rockford through the tunnels
that you have created but there are also some amoeba type creatures
which continue to multiple unless you stop them. If you fail to stop
them, the entire map will turn into rocks which is basically game over
for our little robot. It's a trick in knowing how to defeat them!

Final Thoughts?

With access to online leaderboards and some great puzzles thrown into
the mix, Boulder Dash-XL makes a welcome return to the XBox 360. The
only issue with the game is that the new graphics seem a little complex
as opposed to the original game. Even so, it's a fun and challenging
experience and if you enjoy casual games, than you should definitely
check out Boulder Dash-XL.